Proof That Government Shutdown is a Diversion: Senate Removes GMO Provision from House Farmer Funding Bill

Note: If you notice, both parties have been politically posturing in the mainstream news media, accusing each other very publicly about causing the shutdown. But when special interests start throwing a lot of money around, Congress can quietly pass bills without much public notice. The Farmer Assurance Provision, aka the “Monsanto Protection Act,” of H.R. 5973 (112th): Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2013 is proof that when the government (White House and Congress) publicly grandstands, it is usually a diversion tactic to keep attention away from other bills.

The short-term spending plan moving through the Senate would eliminate legislative language that allows farmers to continue growing genetically modified crops even if a court has blocked their use.

The Farmer Assurance Provision — dubbed the Monsanto Protection Act by its critics — was inserted into an earlier government funding bill that expires Monday and would have remained in place under the stop-gap funding bill approved by the House last week.

The 16-page version of the funding bill drafted by Senate Democrats makes two highly publicized changes to the House version: It strips the House language that would defund the Affordable Care Act and shortens the length of the spending measure, to Nov. 15 from Dec. 15.

…Monsanto has been the subject of a great number of lawsuits from farmers and social discontent revolving around its development of genetically-modified seeds, as well as policies that take away from farmers’ pockets.

Jeffrey M. Smith, a GMO researcher from the Institute for Responsible Technology in an interview with RT accused the company of trying to take full control of the world’s seed supply to bolster profits, while hiding the effects of GMO on the ecosystem and human health.

“The world’s experts at feeding the world and eradicating poverty actually have the report, called “I-Stat” sponsored by the UN and the World Health Organization – and it concludes that GMOs in their current form have nothing to offer in feeding the world or eradicating poverty. There has been a promise to get people to try and promote the technology, accept the technology, but it doesn’t in fact even increase average yield, it reduces yield on average, according to independent science,” Smith explained.

In March of this year, the US House of Representatives quietly passed a last-minute addition to the Agricultural Appropriations Bill for 2013 – including a provision protecting genetically modified seeds from litigation in the face of health risks.

However, food safety advocates rejoiced a week ago after the controversial provision was removed from the Senate version of the bill.